Do you feel the winds of change?

I believe the winds of change are beginning to blow, do you feel something different in the air? A new vibe, a sense of urgency that says "we've got to do something now!" I think we're in for a period of social change that will rival the 1960's. Don't believe me? Consider the following:

In the 1960's the US was involved in an unjust war for the benefit of the military-industrial complex. Today the US is involved in an unjust, imperialistic war for the benefit of the military-industrial complex and the oil companies.

In the 1960's minorities and women protested because they were denied their civil rights. Today every American's civil rights are either gone or in serious jeopardy due to the Patriot Act.

In the 1960's Americans were taught by means of US propaganda to fear Communism and nuclear annihilation. Today Americans are taught by means of US propaganda to fear terrorism, bioweapons and weapons of mass distraction ... oops, mass destruction.

In the 1960's decisions were made to expand the war in Vietnam in order to benefit presidential cronies, regardless of how many lives were lost. Today, well, you get the idea...

"Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it." - George Santayana

It appears the United States is suffering from national amnesia, and history is repeating itself. Once again it appears that this nation needs a jolt of protest, of rebellion, of voices speaking in chorus to say they refuse to accept the status quo. I believe that the time for change is almost here, and it is up to every individual who believes that we can make this country a better place to do his or her part to work for change.

What kind of changes do we need? Well, that's a loaded question which I will answer in the form of the following list. Yes, I fully admit that the items below are solely my opinion and others may disagree, but that's the beauty of free speech - we all have the right to speak our minds. (Or at least we did prior to the Patriot Act.)

1) We need to end the trumped-up, imperialistic war in Iraq and bring our troops home.
2) We need to repeal the Patriot Act and restore the freedoms the founding fathers envisioned for us when they wrote the Bill of Rights.
3) We need to develop a national health plan to provide health coverage to all Americans.
4) We need to devote time, money and energy to rebuilding the lower-income areas of New Orleans, which have been pretty much neglected and forgotten by the Bush Administration.
5) We need to develop cleaner sources of energy and make tremendous reductions in greenhouse gas emissions in order to combat global warming.
6) We need to address the problem of illegal immigration by creating an amnesty for illegal immigrants with clean criminal records and gainful employment, and expedite their citizenship process. Let's face it, they're here and they're not going away, so it's best to grant them citizenship and get them on the taxpaying rolls! Besides, immigration is the primary factor which enables the US to keep its birth rate barely above replacement rates, while the birth rates of many Developed Nations have fallen well below replacement levels.
7) Social Security - we've got to figure out a way to insure that money will be available to pay the benefits that working Americans have been promised. Of course, once formerly illegal immigrants become citizens, their taxes will help to support this system.

I'm sure that about five minutes after I post this entry I'll think of more things to go on the list, but that will give me something to write about another day. At least it will be consistent with the purpose of this blog: to create an ongoing discussion on positive social change, what it is, how it can be achieved, and how we as ordinary citizens can work together to create it.

"A generation which ignores history has no past and no future." - Robert Heinlein

Later,
AuntieM